The present invention provides a stereo camera capable of mitigating thermal stress generated between members and reducing measurement error. In the present invention, a housing is provided with a high-rigidity support part and low-rigidity support part for supporting a circuit board, a high-rigidity support area including the high-rigidity support part, and a low-rigidity support area including the low-rigidity support part. The high-rigidity support part has greater rigidity in relation to force acting in a baseline direction (X-axis direction) following a baseline length of a pair of camera modules than the low-rigidity support part. The high-rigidity support area is provided in one location so as to be adjacent to the low-rigidity support area in the baseline direction.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A stereo camera comprising: a pair of camera modules; a circuit board connected to the pair of camera modules; and a housing supporting the circuit board and the pair of camera modules, wherein the housing comprises: a high-rigidity support part and a low-rigidity support part for supporting the circuit board; a high-rigidity support area having the high-rigidity support part; and a low-rigidity support area having the low-rigidity support part, the high-rigidity support part has higher rigidity against force acting in a baseline direction along a baseline length of the pair of camera modules than that of the low-rigidity support part, the high-rigidity support area is included at one location adjacent to the low-rigidity support area in the baseline direction, and the high-rigidity support area is included at one end in the baseline direction.
2. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the low-rigidity support area is included at each of both ends in the baseline direction, and the high-rigidity support area is included between the low-rigidity support areas in the baseline direction.
3. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has one high-rigidity support part.
4. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has a plurality of high-rigidity support parts, including the high-rigidity support part, arranged in a direction intersecting with the baseline direction.
5. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has a plurality of high-rigidity support parts, including the high-rigidity support part, arranged in the baseline direction.
6. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a front end and a rear end in an optical axis direction of the camera modules, and the front end has a smaller height dimension in a height direction perpendicular to the baseline direction and the optical axis direction than that of the rear end.
7. The stereo camera according to claim 6 , wherein the low-rigidity support part is included at the rear end of the housing and formed into a columnar shape in which the height direction is an axial direction.
8. The stereo camera according to claim 6 , wherein the low-rigidity support part is included at the front end of the housing and formed into a cantilever shape in a planar view when viewed from the height direction.
9. The stereo camera according to claim 1 , wherein the low-rigidity support part and the high-rigidity support part are arranged on an inner side between the pair of camera modules in the baseline direction.
10. A stereo camera comprising: a pair of camera modules; a circuit board connected to the pair of camera modules; and a housing supporting the circuit board and the pair of camera modules, wherein the housing comprises: a high-rigidity support part and a low-rigidity support part for supporting the circuit board; a high-rigidity support area having the high-rigidity support part; and a low-rigidity support area having the low-rigidity support part, the high-rigidity support part has higher rigidity against force acting in a baseline direction along a baseline length of the pair of camera modules than that of the low-rigidity support part, the high-rigidity support area is included at one location adjacent to the low-rigidity support area in the baseline direction, the housing has a front end and a rear end in an optical axis direction of the camera modules, and the front end has a smaller height dimension in a height direction perpendicular to the baseline direction and the optical axis direction than that of the rear end.
11. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the low-rigidity support area is included at each of both ends in the baseline direction, and the high-rigidity support area is included between the low-rigidity support areas in the baseline direction.
12. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has one high-rigidity support part.
13. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has a plurality of high-rigidity support parts, including the high-rigidity support part, arranged in a direction intersecting with the baseline direction.
14. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the high-rigidity support area has a plurality of high-rigidity support parts, including the high-rigidity support part, arranged in the baseline direction.
15. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the low-rigidity support part is included at the rear end of the housing and formed into a columnar shape in which the height direction is an axial direction.
16. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the low-rigidity support part is included at the front end of the housing and formed into a cantilever shape in a planar view when viewed from the height direction.
17. The stereo camera according to claim 10 , wherein the low-rigidity support part and the high-rigidity support part are arranged on an inner side between the pair of camera modules in the baseline direction.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 13, 2017
February 23, 2021
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